| V i e t n a m |
| Growing up in the 70's, I had missed the turbulent, mind-altering decade prior, that fueled so much anger, love, and diverse culture, that still thrives today...both in the U.S.A. and Vietnam. One main difference, I have found, is while the U.S. still calls the |
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| situation that took place in southeast Asia, a "police action," the Vietnamese definitely remember it as a "War." As I was expecting more hostility from a comunist country who'd only recently opened it's doors to tourism, I was met with hospitality, great food, and a country that is on the verge of becoming a dominant tourist destination and world player...good or bad. |
| I flew into Ho Chi Minh City, commonly referred to as Saigon, or the South Vietnamese capital in the 60's, on January 25th, 2002. The city was alive, yet the streets were almost void of automobiles. In it's place were hundreds of thousands of small motorbikes, weaving in and out, between and around each other like an odd dance where everyone knew their part. Except for me. On the back of these bikes they carried everything you or I would generally be obliged to put in the trunk. (note the picture on the left where the woman is transporting over 15 live chickens). |
| In a country where old traditions still hold value, the modern ways of society are slowly edging their way in and are seemingly able to co-exsist with each other. |